worked on mum, but it didn’t work on me.” She paused. “Why don’t you want to invite Edward to dinner? You can tell me.”
But Elinor refused to rise to the bait. “Don’t forget to close the kitchen door. You’ve left it hanging open. Again.”
And with that, she turned and left the kitchen.
***
“How was your visit, Lady Violet?” Mrs Holland asked at dinner next evening, all of them seated around one end of the enormous Barton Park dining table. “Is your poorly friend recovered?”
“She’s much improved, thank you. She’d had bouts of dizziness and megrims and feared it might be her heart; but after a battery of tests, the doctor’s reassured her that she’s fine.”
“That’s good news,” Elinor said. “I’m glad.”
“Yes,” Marianne echoed. “Very good news.”
Lady Violet glanced at her with a shrewd eye. “And what, Miss Holland, have you been up to in my absence? Did you land that veterinary position you wanted?”
“She did,” Mrs Holland piped up, and beamed. “And she’s landed herself a boyfriend, as well.”
Marianne flushed with annoyance. “Mum, really. He’s not my
boyfriend
. Aren’t I entitled to any privacy?”
“Not living here with us,” Elinor said.
“But how intriguing,” Lady Violet exclaimed, her jowls quivering. “And who is this young man, Marianne, if I might be so bold as to ask?”
“His name is Willoughby. Kit Willoughby,” she replied, and blushed. “He’s staying at Allenham Court with his aunt, Mrs Smyth.”
“He rescued Marianne when she had a fall, and brought her home in the middle of a truly awful storm,” Mrs Holland added. “It was – well it was quite heroic of him! And very romantic.”
Lady Violet considered the younger Holland girl with a quizzical expression. “So it sounds. It only goes to show that one misses all of the excitement when one is not at home.”
“Do you know Mr Willoughby, Lady Violet?” Marianne ventured.
“Not well, no. Christopher was Lady Huntington’s only son. She died quite young and he and his sister Philippa were sent away to boarding school. I understand he expects to inherit Allenham, and I daresay he will. His aunt has no other nephews and no son of her own to make him doubt her intentions to do so.”
“We’ve invited Mr Willoughby,” Elinor said, “and Dr Brandon – the veterinarian my sister works for – and his assistant to dinner on Sunday.” She smiled politely. “Would you like to come?”
Surprise flickered over the lady’s face. “I would indeed.” She turned to Marianne’s mother and leaned forward. “But you should hold your dinner here at Barton Park. Surely such a large group would be better accommodated here than in the – forgive me – charming, but more cramped environs of the cottage.”
“Oh.” It was Mrs Holland’s turn to register surprise. “Well. I suppose you have a point. But…I wanted to cook dinner myself.”
“And so you shall. I’ll give Mrs Fenwick the day off and you can have full use of her kitchen.”
“Well…thank you. Yes. That’ll do very nicely.”
Lady Violet took a sip of her wine, beamed, and set the glass down. “Now that’s settled – I have news of my own to announce. News that I hope you girls…” her glance strayed to Elinor, and her eyes twinkled “
both
of you girls, will find most welcome.”
“Do tell us, please,” Mrs Holland exclaimed. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“Very well.” The baron’s widow leaned forward with a gleam in her eye. “I intend to throw a picnic here at Barton Park to welcome you all to Hadleighshire.”
“A picnic?” Marianne said. “That sounds brilliant.”
“I plan to invite Mrs Smyth, and Mr Willoughby too, now that I know he’s at Allenham; and my neighbours, who’ll want very much to meet you all. And,” she added, her words deliberate as her glance went once again to Elinor, “I’ve taken the liberty of inviting another certain someone to join
But Elinor refused to rise to the bait. “Don’t forget to close the kitchen door. You’ve left it hanging open. Again.”
And with that, she turned and left the kitchen.
***
“How was your visit, Lady Violet?” Mrs Holland asked at dinner next evening, all of them seated around one end of the enormous Barton Park dining table. “Is your poorly friend recovered?”
“She’s much improved, thank you. She’d had bouts of dizziness and megrims and feared it might be her heart; but after a battery of tests, the doctor’s reassured her that she’s fine.”
“That’s good news,” Elinor said. “I’m glad.”
“Yes,” Marianne echoed. “Very good news.”
Lady Violet glanced at her with a shrewd eye. “And what, Miss Holland, have you been up to in my absence? Did you land that veterinary position you wanted?”
“She did,” Mrs Holland piped up, and beamed. “And she’s landed herself a boyfriend, as well.”
Marianne flushed with annoyance. “Mum, really. He’s not my
boyfriend
. Aren’t I entitled to any privacy?”
“Not living here with us,” Elinor said.
“But how intriguing,” Lady Violet exclaimed, her jowls quivering. “And who is this young man, Marianne, if I might be so bold as to ask?”
“His name is Willoughby. Kit Willoughby,” she replied, and blushed. “He’s staying at Allenham Court with his aunt, Mrs Smyth.”
“He rescued Marianne when she had a fall, and brought her home in the middle of a truly awful storm,” Mrs Holland added. “It was – well it was quite heroic of him! And very romantic.”
Lady Violet considered the younger Holland girl with a quizzical expression. “So it sounds. It only goes to show that one misses all of the excitement when one is not at home.”
“Do you know Mr Willoughby, Lady Violet?” Marianne ventured.
“Not well, no. Christopher was Lady Huntington’s only son. She died quite young and he and his sister Philippa were sent away to boarding school. I understand he expects to inherit Allenham, and I daresay he will. His aunt has no other nephews and no son of her own to make him doubt her intentions to do so.”
“We’ve invited Mr Willoughby,” Elinor said, “and Dr Brandon – the veterinarian my sister works for – and his assistant to dinner on Sunday.” She smiled politely. “Would you like to come?”
Surprise flickered over the lady’s face. “I would indeed.” She turned to Marianne’s mother and leaned forward. “But you should hold your dinner here at Barton Park. Surely such a large group would be better accommodated here than in the – forgive me – charming, but more cramped environs of the cottage.”
“Oh.” It was Mrs Holland’s turn to register surprise. “Well. I suppose you have a point. But…I wanted to cook dinner myself.”
“And so you shall. I’ll give Mrs Fenwick the day off and you can have full use of her kitchen.”
“Well…thank you. Yes. That’ll do very nicely.”
Lady Violet took a sip of her wine, beamed, and set the glass down. “Now that’s settled – I have news of my own to announce. News that I hope you girls…” her glance strayed to Elinor, and her eyes twinkled “
both
of you girls, will find most welcome.”
“Do tell us, please,” Mrs Holland exclaimed. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“Very well.” The baron’s widow leaned forward with a gleam in her eye. “I intend to throw a picnic here at Barton Park to welcome you all to Hadleighshire.”
“A picnic?” Marianne said. “That sounds brilliant.”
“I plan to invite Mrs Smyth, and Mr Willoughby too, now that I know he’s at Allenham; and my neighbours, who’ll want very much to meet you all. And,” she added, her words deliberate as her glance went once again to Elinor, “I’ve taken the liberty of inviting another certain someone to join
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